FLORIAN SALCEDO
On February 22, 2018, the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) issued Revenue Memorandum Circular (RMC) No. 12-2018 which effectively grants the Commissioner of Internal Revenue (CIR) the power to compel lawyers to divulge information of their clients as taxpayers. This issuance caused ripples in the legal profession and imperiled the attorney-client privilege, a long and well-established feature in our legal system.